In the field of producing padding, in particular for mattresses, the carding machine is used in particular for combing, separating and parallelising the discontinuous fibres which will then be used to create the padding, and for varying the thickness of the layer of fibres which is obtained by the same operations performed by the machine.
These operations are performed by purely mechanical machining and by machining of the pneumatic or “air” type, which are performed with suction means and/or blowers designed to model the thickness of the overall layer of fibres and their mutual configuration.
More specifically, a possible carding machine, to which this invention is advantageously applicable, comprises a first rotary working element, also called the licker-in, and a second rotary working element, also called the drum. These elements work the fibres by passing them along a working path which comprises stretches or sectors tangential to the licker-in and drum and which preferably pass along at least one intermediate zone or intermediate “point” interposed between the licker-in and drum, and at which the working of the fibres may also be very intense.
The air processing, on the other hand, is commonly carried out by the passage of the fibres in the vicinity of suction means which add volume to the layer or stream of fibres and determine, for example, an increase in thickness. More specifically, the fibres worked mechanically are conveyed, if necessary with the aid of blower means, on a conveying surface which translates in the vicinity of at least one suction device, in such a way that the fibres can be subjected to the action of the suction device.
In order to modify the effect of the air processing the operators usually act on the suction power of the at least one suction means and on its rotation speed, as well as on the power of any blower means.
The Applicant has found that the versatility and/or flexibility of the air processing may be improved.
Moreover, the Applicant has found that a reduction can be obtained in the time necessary to make the modifications to the configuration of the machine which are necessary to vary the effects produced on the fibres by the air processing means.